From the sketchbooks: Six foot, seven foot, eight foot, bunch!

West Indian culture and folklore is often forgotten in favour of African. Maybe forgotten is the wrong word; more like pushed aside. But it is a rich and lyrical source of material for children to learn from and enjoy. Its educational value is not in question as it indirectly chronicles the days of slavery when different cultures (African, European, Creole and Native American) were thrown into a melting pot and allowed to bubble away. That period of the world’s history was both exciting and dark. That’s how I see it, anyway.

As a child in the 60’s I watched Harry Belafonte sing the Banana Boat Song with absolutely no understanding of its meaning, but an addictive curiosity about why its rhythm made me want to move…

I get it now and the story it tells is rich and deceptively simple. I’ve started to research more songs and stories in the hope of making books about them in my own way. Post a comment if you want to see more.

Recenly on chicken newspaper: Chicken Newspaper for Children

An elephant’s memory and intelligence is the key to its survival. In the wild each herd is led by one older female, or matriarch. When they come across another group of elephants, the matriarch will get into a defensive position because she realises that those elephants could threaten the safety of the herd. Elephants holding trunks Aristotle described the elephant as “the animal that surpasses all others in wit and mind.” Elephants can recognise and keep track of as many as 30 of their companions. Psychologist Richard Byrne, one of the scientists who took part in a study on elephant behaviour said, “Imagine taking your family Read more